Self-locking collar and cooperating standard



Oct. 1, 1963 D. w. AHRENS I 3,

SELF-LOCKING COLLAR AND COOPERATING STANDARD Filed Sept. 18, 1958 5Sheets-Sheet 2 U INVENTOR DONALD n. AHRE/VS' BYE/M, M

ATTORNEYS D. w. 'AHRENS 3,105,682

SELF-LOCKING COLLAR AND COOPERATING STANDARD Oct. 1, 1963 Filed Sept.18, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG.

INVENTOR DONALD W. AHRE/VS BY wwwiapw ATTORNEYS United States Patent3,105,682 SELF-LOCKDJG COLLAR AND CODPERATING STANDARD Donald W. Ahrens,1623 3rd Ave, Grinnell, lowa Filed Sept. 18, 1958, Ser. No. 761,809Claims. (Cl. 27259) This invention is a variably positionable,self-locking collar; the invention also includes a cooperating standard.The combination of collar and standard is capable of various uses, whereit is desired to position a vertically slidable collar on a standard atvarious heights. Possible uses are standards for various athleticcontests, such as the high jump and pole vault; for use in supportingtennis and badminton nets; for tether ball; for clothes lines; for adrill press, etc.

The standard used is preferably in detachable sections, which can becoupled together to make a standard of the desired height. The severalsections are of uniform outside diameter, so that the collar is readilyslidable vertically thereon.

The principal object 'of the invention is to provide a collar which canbe manually released from a particular place on the standard, movedupwardly or downwardly, to a new level, and released, whereupon thecollar locks itself automatically at that level until it is desired tomove it to another level.

More specifically, the collar comprises a body portion which encirclesthe standard, the body portion being extended into two parallel spacedapart plates.

Between these plates is pivoted a lock lever, one end of which engagesfrictionally with the standard; a spring or other force, when applied toone end of the lever, pulls the other end of the lever into engagementwith the standard and holds it there. However, this lever is readilyreleasable by hand, to disengage the lever, to enable the collar to bemoved to a new position, in which position, it locks itself whenreleased.

In a simpler form, the lock lever extends diagonally upwardly, in whichcase, the collar is locked against downward movement, but may be readilymoved upwardly; in another form, two lock levers are used, extendingdiagonally upwardly and downwardly, for locking the collar againstupward and downward movement; in another form, one or two lock levers,extending diagonally both with respect to the vertical and transverseaxes of the standard, so as to additionally lock the collar againstrotary movement on the standard.

The invention will be further described in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side View of collars and standards of the present invention,in use as supporting -a net.

'FIG. 2 shows the standard used as a tether ball post.

FIG. 3 shows the standard and collars for supporting the horizontal barfor the pole vault or high jump.

PEG. 4 is a vertical cross-section of a joint for the standard.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of the simpler form of collar of thisinvention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of FIG. *5.

FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are side views of two modifications.

FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 are perspective and top plan Views of anothermodification.

FIGS. 1-1, 12 and 13 are side, edge and plan views of anothermodification.

Referring now to these drawings, in which similar reference charactersindicate similar parts, the invention comprises a standard 2, preferablycircular in cross-section; although, it could, for example, be square orhexagonal if desired; the standard is composed of a plurality ofsections 4 all of the same outside diameter. One of the sections ice 2is provided with an exteriorly threaded collar 6 which engages withcorresponding interior threads 7 on an adjacent section, as shown inFIG. 4. These standards are preferably provided with a ground anchoragecomprising radiating arms 8, conveniently four in number, provided withprongs 10 for ground anchorage.

An important feature of the invention is the self-locking collar shownat 12 in FIGS. 5 and 6. This collar comprises a semi-cylindrical portion14 forming the body portion of the collar, from which extend, preferablyintegral therewith, a pair of vertical parallel plates 16. Mounted on apivot pin 13, passing through suitable apertures in the upper portionsof these plates, is a locking lever 20 extending angularly upwardly, asshown in FIG. 5. A spring 22 has its lower end secured to a pin 24carried by the plates 16, while its upper end is secured to a ring 26 atthe upper end of lever 20. The lever 20 is positioned so that its lowerend bears against the standard 2, this end preferably being tipped witha tip 23 of rubber, synthetic resin or the like, so that it frictionallycontacts the standard under the influence of spring 22. Additionalcoiled springs 28 coiled around the pivot 18 may be provided for turningthe lever 20 clockwise, as shown in FIG. 5.

The upper end of lever 20 is provided with a ring 30 and the bodyportion 12 of the collar may be provided with a horizontal extension 3-2on the side opposite the plate 16, as shown in FIG. 5.

One use of the invention is shown in FIG. 1 where two collars arepositioned at the desired level on the standards to support a badmintonnet 34. FIG. 2 shows the standard used for a tether ball 3, 13- beingpreferably a swiveled collar.

In order to position the collar 12 at any desired level, the lever 20 ismanually moved counter-clockwise to disengage it from the standard andthe collar moved upwardly or downwardly as desired, and then lever 20 isreleased, whereupon spring 22 and springs 28 cause lever 20' tofrictionally lock against the standard 2 to hold the collar at thatlevel.

Where the collar is used to support a net, clothes line or the like, thecable or line is secured to loop 30 and the pull of the cable 31 helpsto hold the lever in looking position.

Where the collar is used to support a horizontal bar 35 for the polevault or high jump, such bar rests on extensions 32, as shown in FIG. 3.

In FIG. 7, the locking levers 20' are provided in duplicate where forany reason the load to be supported is rather heavy and where it isnecessary to avoid any slippage whatever of the collar.

Referring to the modification in FIG. 8, the upper locking lever 20 andcooperating spring 22. are provided as before. A second downwardly andoutwardly extending locking lever 36 is provided, having a cooperatingspring 38, this lever being otherwise similar to lever 20* except thatit extends diagonally downwardly instead of diagonally upwardly. Thisarrangement gives a positive lock against movement of the collar ineither direction. With the lever shown in FIG. 5, the collar could bepushed upwardly manually without releasing lever 20*.

Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, this modification shows the bodyportion 4% of the collar provided with laterally extending plates 42.Between each pair of plates 42 is a locking lever 44 pivoted on pins 46.One of the levers 44, as shown in FIG. 9, extends laterally in onedirection While the lower one extends laterally in the other direction,so that their respective operating springs 48 cause the inner ends ofthe lever to press against the standard 2 to lock the collar to thestandard against movement in either clockwise or counter-clockwisedirection, as well as against up and down movement.

In the modifications shown in FIGS. 11, 12 and 13, the

collar 50 is provided with laterally extending plates 52. The upperlocking lever 54 is pivoted between the plates on the pivot 56 and isprovided with an actuating spring 58. The lower locking lever 60 ispivoted on the pin 62 and is provided with an actuating spring 64. Theselooking levers extend diagonally upwardly and diagonally downwardly, andthey also extend diagonally laterally so that they are diagonallydisposed with respect to a plane through the longitudinally axis of thestandard 2 and also diagonally disposed with respect to a planeperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the standard 2. Such anarrangement locks the collar 50 against upward and downward movement, aswell as against any clockwise or counter-clockwise movement.

While the invention has been described in detail, it should beunderstood that the invention is not limited to the precise detailsillustrated, but may be carried out in other ways.

I claim as my invention:

1. A self-locking collar, comprising a body portion adapted to partiallyencircle a standard, two substantially parallel, outwardly extendingplates carried by said body portion, a pair of lock levers, pivotallymounted between said plates, each positioned with its inner end adaptedto bear against and lock against the standard, spring means cooperatingwith each of said lock levers tor urging each of them into lockingposition, one of said levers extending diagonally upwardly and outwardlyfrom said stand ard, while the other extends diagonally downwardly andoutwardly from said standard, whereby the levers and their cooperatingsprings hold the collar against either up or down movement.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein the inner ends of said levers aretipped with resinous material for binding frictionally against thestandard.

3. A standard, a lock collar having abody port-ion adapted to partiallysurround the standard, two substantially parallel outwardly extendingplates extending laterally from said body portion, a lock lever pivotedbetween said plates, on an axis inclined at an angle to the axis of thestandard, and positioned to have its inner end to bear against saidstandard, spring means cooperating with said lever for causing its innerend to press against the standard, said lever extending diagonally withrespect to both the horizontal and vertical planes passing through thelongitudinal and transverse axes of said body portion.

4. A standard, a lock collar having a body portion adapted to partiallysurround said standard, two substantially parallel outwardly extendingplates extending l-ater ally from said body portion, two lock leverspivoted between said plates and having their inner ends adapted to bearfrictionally against said standard, spring means cooperating with saidlevers :for causing their inner ends to bear against the standard, oneof said levers extending diagonally upwardly, the other of said leversextending diagonally downwardly, each of said levers-also extendindiagonally with respect to a vertical plane passing through thelongitudinal axis of said standard.

5. In combination with a vertical standard, a variable positionablecollar substantially encircling said standard, a horizontal extensioncarried by said collar at one side for supporting a horizontal bar foruse in the high jump or pole vault, said collar, on the side oppositesaid extension, being provided with a pair of spaced parallel plates, alocking lever pivoted between said plates on a horizontal axis andextending diagonally upwardly, a ring carried by the outer end of saidlock lever for supporting a badminton net, and a spring cooperating withsaid parallel plates and the upper end of said locking lever, for urgingthe. inner end of said locking lever into frictional engagement withsaid standard.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS218,404 Shimoneck Aug. 12, 1879 1,013,829 Thornley Jan. 2, 19121,146,843 Brown July 20, 1915 2,398,413 De Laurentis et al. Apr. 16,1946 2,452,729 Carlson Nov. 2, 1948 2,545,784 Kenner Mar. 20, 1951FOREIGN PATENTS 538,288 France Mar. 16, 1922

5. IN COMBINATION WITH A VERTICAL STANDARD, A VARIABLE POSITIONABLECOLLAR SUBSTANTIALLY ENCIRCLING SAID STANDARD, A HORIZONTAL EXTENSIONCARRIED BY SAID COLLAR AT ONE SIDE FOR SUPPORTING A HORIZONTAL BAR FORUSE IN THE HIGH JUMP OR POLE VAULT, SAID COLLAR, ON THE SIDE OPPOSITESAID EXTENSION, BEING PROVIDED WITH A PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL PLATES, ALOCKING LEVER PIVOTED BETWEEN SAID PLANES ON A HORIZONTAL AXIS ANDEXTENDING DIAGONALLY UPWARDLY, A RING CARRIED BY THE OUTER END OF SAIDLOCK LEVER FOR SUPPORTING A BADMINTON NET, AND A SPRING COOPERATING WITHSAID PARALLEL PLATES AND THE UPPER END OF SAID LOCKING LEVER, FOR URGINGTHE INNER END OF SAID LOCKING LEVER INTO FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAIDSTANDARD.